The present disclosure relates to the subject matter disclosed in German application No. 100 38 001.8 of Aug. 4, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.
The invention relates to a sensor assembly comprising a sensor which can be fixed in position on a functional unit and has a sensor housing, in which a sensor element with evaluation electronics is arranged.
In the case of known sensor assemblys of this type, the sensor housing itself is provided with elements to fix it in position directly on the functional unit, wherein these elements are always adapted to the respective fixing possibilities on the functional unit.
The object underlying the invention is therefore to improve a sensor assembly of the generic type in such a manner that as simple and universal a fixing of the sensor as possible on the functional unit is possible.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a sensor assembly of the type described at the outset, in that the sensor assembly comprises a sensor holder which can be brought into a position following the sensor housing in longitudinal direction and can be detachably connected to the sensor housing in this position in a form-locking manner by means of form-locking elements and that the sensor can be fixed in position on the functional unit by means of the sensor holder.
The advantage of the inventive solution is to be seen in the fact that, on the one hand, a simple possibility exists, as a result of adaptation of the sensor holder, of carrying out an adaptation of the sensor assembly to the most varied of functional units and that, in addition, due to the fact that the sensor holder is arranged so as to follow the sensor housing in longitudinal direction, a construction of the sensor assembly results which makes it possible to adapt this in an optimum manner to the most varied of installation possibilities, in particular, the possibility exists of accommodating the sensor assembly in grooves or other elongated recesses in the functional unit.
With respect to the design of the form-locking elements, no further details have so far been given. One advantageous embodiment, for example, provides for one of the form-locking elements to be a projection and the other a recess.
In this respect, the form-locking elements are preferably arranged such that two of the form-locking elements extend in longitudinal direction of the sensor housing.
In order to also be able to fix the projection in the recess in longitudinal direction of the sensor housing in a preferably form-locking manner, it is provided for two of the form-locking elements to extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sensor housing, wherein one of the form-locking elements extending transversely to the longitudinal direction can preferably be adjusted transversely to the longitudinal direction.
With respect to the design of the projection and the receiving means, no further details have so far been given. It is preferably provided, for example, for the form-locking elements extending in longitudinal direction of the sensor housing to have a cross section which is smaller than a cross section of the sensor housing in a cross-sectional area extending transversely to its longitudinal direction.
A particularly advantageous solution provides for the sensor housing to have the projection and the sensor holder to have the recess.
With respect to the design of the sensor holder, the most varied of possibilities are conceivable. One particularly advantageous embodiment provides for the sensor holder to be insertable into a groove of the functional unit and fixed in position in it.
In this respect, the sensor holder is preferably provided with projections engaging in undercuts of the groove so that the sensor holder itself can be fixed in position in the groove transversely to it by means of the projections.
In order to also bring about a fixing in position in longitudinal direction of the groove, it is preferably provided for the sensor holder to be fixed in position in longitudinal direction of the groove in a force-locking manner.
In this respect, the sensor holder is preferably provided with a fixing element, with which a groove base of the groove can be acted upon.
With respect to the dimensioning of the sensor holder itself, no further details have so far been given. One advantageous embodiment provides, for example, for the sensor holder to have a holder housing insertable into the groove.
In this respect, the holder housing is preferably designed such that it can be inserted into the groove essentially completely.
Furthermore, with respect to the positioning of the sensor housing it is likewise preferably provided for the sensor housing to be insertable into the groove essentially completely.
In principle, it would be conceivable to realize the fixing of the form-locking elements relative to one another and also the fixing of the holder housing via a common fixing device or a common fixing element.
It is, however, particularly advantageous when the fixing of the sensor holder on the functional unit and the fixing of the sensor housing on the sensor holder can be actuated independently of one another so that the sensor housing can be detached from the sensor holder without the sensor holder needing to be detached from the functional unit.
This solution has the particular advantage that with it the sensor holder can remain fixed in position on the functional unit even during the exchanging of the sensor itself.
It is particularly favorable when the sensor holder and the sensor housing can be connected to one another by positioning elements so as to be exactly positioned in a reproducible manner since, as a result, the adjustment of the inventive sensor assembly once achieved can also be achieved again when the sensor has to be exchanged on account of a defect and a new sensor has to be inserted since the new sensor is automatically held again by the sensor holder in the position of the sensor previously used.
In order to be able to keep the sensor as stable as possible relative to the functional unit it is preferably provided for the sensor holder to have a holding element engaging over the sensor housing on at least one side. As a result, a more stable fixing of the sensor housing relative to the functional unit can be achieved in addition to the form-locking fixing of the sensor housing on the sensor holder, in particular, in the case of any sudden load on the sensor housing due to an electric supply cable.
For example, the holding element could be arranged in this respect such that it is formed on a holding arm engaging over the sensor housing on one side.
However, it is also conceivable to design the holding element such that it forms a receiving means at least for one section of the sensor housing and thus engages over the sensor housing on more than one side, for example, on two sides.
It is particularly favorable when the holding element engages over the sensor housing on three sides. This solution can be used, in particular, when the sensor housing is intended to be positioned on a circumferential surface of the functional unit and cannot be inserted into a groove thereof.
With respect to the engagement of the holding element on the sensor housing, no further details have so far been given. It would be conceivable, for example, in the extreme case for the holding element to engage over the entire sensor housing. This would, however, make any exchange of the sensor by releasing the form-locking elements more difficult. For this reason, it is advantageously provided for the holding element to engage in the area of one half of the sensor housing bordering on the sensor holder.
However, the holding element preferably does not engage over the housing half of the sensor housing completely but rather only in sections when seen in longitudinal direction of the sensor housing, i.e., for example, the holding element engages over one half of the housing half or more but at the most the entire half of the housing.